The invention relates to field test equipment and, more particularly, to a separating and sorting apparatus and method for treating and processing asphalt particulate in the field.
In field tests of asphalt products the separating and sorting of asphalt particulate has always been done by hand. There is no commercial apparatus for doing this, mainly because field-testing is a hands-on, civil engineering trade. The frequency of doing this test, however, warrants something be done to facilitate and/or automate the procedure. Anyone who has ever separated and sorted asphalt can attest to the laborious difficulties encountered in performing this task.
The present invention seeks to provide a new field-testing apparatus to separate and sort asphalt particulate.
The current invention comprises a motor driven, rotating container for holding asphalt. The container has input and output vents for conveying cooler, ambient air through the container, as the asphalt is made to tumble therein. Cooler, ambient air is introduced into the container through the input vent. An electric blower produces the cooler, ambient air, which circulates about the tumbling asphalt particles, causing the particles and liquid asphalt in the asphalt mix to cool. The heat from the mix is discharged through the output vent. The cool, dried-asphalt particles then sink to the bottom of the container, which features a releasable latch. Opening the latch discharges the processed asphalt particulate into a trough disposed below the rotating container. The trough directs the particulate into a receptacle disposed below it.
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided an apparatus and method for processing asphalt in the field. The apparatus comprises a motor driven rotating container for holding the asphalt to be processed. The container has input and output vents for conveying ambient air through the container as the asphalt is made to tumble therein. Ambient air is introduced into the input vent. An electrically powered blower generates the cooler, ambient air, which circulates about the tumbling asphalt particles causing the components in the asphalt mix to cool, and allowing the hot gases to discharge through the output vent. A baffle plate disposed adjacent the output vent deflects the ambient air and cooler particles from being directed at the field test operator, thus preventing the possibility of burns. The cool, dried asphalt particles sink to the bottom of the container where a spring-loaded latch can be released. Releasing the latch causes the processed asphalt particulate to drop into a trough. The trough gathers the cooled particle portion and then directs it into a receptacle or bucket disposed below the trough.
The process of the invention comprises the steps of: (a) passing cooler, ambient air through the container having asphalt particulate to be processed; (b) tumbling the asphalt particulate while continuing to pass the cooler air through the container to drive off heat; (c) discharging the cooled asphalt particulate into a collecting receptacle. The tumbling action keeps the particles from sticking together as they cool, since at room temperature or below, asphalt particles no longer stick to each other.
It is an object of this invention to provide an apparatus and method for separating and cooling asphalt particulate in the field.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a compact apparatus and method for cooling, field-testing, processing, and separating asphalt particulate.